New York Night Train Happening is the latest spectacular multimedia party of Mr. Jonathan Toubin, the DJ/Conceptualist behind such legendary NYC parties such as Glasslands’ Animal Train Happening and Santos Party House’s
DECLASSIFIED! Yet another step towards the revival and revision of the New York nightlife underground’s proudest and most ambitious tradition, THE HAPPENING is inspired by everything from Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic
Inevitable, which fused lights, projection, live music, performance, and dance under the
same umbrella, to similar examples spanning from the disco to early new wave era in
spaces like Club 57, their New Wave Vaudeville Show, and the Mudd Club.
Past happenings haven’t only seen collaborations with galleries/artists such as Secret Project Robot, Live With Animals, and Mikilandia Productions, and been filmed by the likes of the father of avant-garde cinema, the Factory’s Jonas Mikas, but
have also included appearances by many generations of subcultural icons such as
Genesis P-Orridge, Andrew W.K., Quintron and Ms. Pussycat, King Khan and the BBQ, Ian Svenonius, Calvin Johnson, James Chance, Gibby Haynes, The Slits, Jon Spencer, and many more. Initially conceived as a reaction to, on one hand, the assembly-line ho-hum of rock show presentation, and, on the other, the aesthetic bankruptcy and soul-less nature of the contemporary dance party, Toubin’s happenings have developed into a mighty rock and roll wrecking ball demolishing the
boundaries between art, performance, and nightlife - revealing the pearly disco ball at its core – the best rock dance parties the 21st Century has yet to offer.
This first edition of New York Night Train Happening features live music by Edie Sedgwick, Exactly, Kid Congo Powers (Cramps, Gun Club, Bad Seeds, etc), performance by and go go artist Anna Copa Cabanna and Hula Hoop Harlot Melissa Anne, and live non-digital film projection by Spencer Bewley (Place to Bury Strangers,
Warlocks, Death In Vegas, etc) and DJ sets by Mr. Jonathan Toubin. Expect a participatory spectacle in which all of the performers to play all sorts of roles on and off stage in all sorts of unpredictable configurations (
Melissa, Anna, and Kid collaborating, etc. (!)).
If you think this sounds like a bras d’ honneur in the face of the mediocre, unimaginative, and economically exclusionary day-to-day mechanics of 21st Century art, music, and nightlife in general, you are correct. Now that New York Night Train has sparked a revolution in Empire City shows, dance club nights, and art events, it is now changing
the way people go out around the world – restoring and renovating proud traditional underground aesthetics ... town by town. All aboard!
Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 10:30pm- 3:00am
Location:
Civilian Art Projects
406 7 Street NW, SECOND FLOOR (NEW!)
Washington, DC
Phone:
2023470022
Email:
info@civilianartprojects.com
